My name is Frank Ahrens. I’m a principal at BGR PR in Washington D.C. I’ve spent my life telling stories in print, images and video at the highest levels of journalism and public relations and I have one piece of advice for you: Don’t let others tell your story.
Whether you’re talking to top-tier media, Congress, your employees or TikTok teens, let me help you own your story.
What We Mean By
Owning Your Story
Are you getting killed by negative stories on Google? Hammered on social media? Can’t cut through the clutter to get your message out? We can help you fix all that.
Here’s how:
When I was a reporter at The Washington Post, our newspaper was one of a handful of gatekeepers of information. If you wanted to tell your story, you had to get a journalist interested and trust them to treat you fairly.
The internet changed all that — in your favor.
The legacy media organizations still have a big footprint but they are no longer the only gatekeepers of information. Today, thanks to desktop digital tools, social media and search-engine optimization tactics, everyone can be their own high-impact publisher. This gives you the potential to create your own narrative on Google Page 1, which is today’s critical first impression.
Other PR firms may emphasize media outreach and press releases and statements, and those are still important. BGR does those. But if you’re only doing those, you’re losing control of your story.
I began my career in journalism, as a sports editor, feature writer and news reporter, most of it at The Washington Post. I spent my last several years at The Post in the business section, where I covered the media and entertainment industries, the auto industry and the Great Recession of 2008-10, appearing frequently as an expert on CNBC, PBS and other major TV networks. I moved to Seoul in 2010 with my wife, Rebekah, who was a U.S. diplomat, and ran global corporate communications for Hyundai Motor as the only American at headquarters. We returned to the States in 2014, when I joined BGR PR, and I wrote a book about my time at Hyundai, called “Seoul Man: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity Inside a Korean Corporate Titan.” I’m proud to represent U.S. and foreign clients, ranging from governments to Fortune 50 corporations to individuals. I still write in my spare time, and my articles can be found in Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, Forbes, PR News and elsewhere.
BGR PR is part of BGR Group, a Bloomberg Government top-performing bipartisan lobbying and communications firm founded in Washington D.C. in 1991. We specialize in telling clients’ stories to Washington and top-tier national U.S. media and to online audiences everywhere, through high-quality content-creation and the full kit of digital and social media tools. Because we are part of a bipartisan lobbying firm, we know how to work seamlessly with a company’s — or country’s — government relations efforts in Washington and in state capitals.
I learned the trade at terrific small community newspapers and joined The Washington Post in 1992.
I’ve led corporate and agency teams, advising C-suite executives and heads of state, and quarterbacked campaigns with multiple contractors.
My experience living in Seoul and Jakarta and traveling the world while working in a foreign company enables me to help clients avoid pitfalls in cross-cultural communication.
I have spoken to large and small groups and would be honored to deliver a keynote address to your organization virtually or in-person (someday) on the following topics:
Own Your Story: Five Marks Of a Winning PR Campaign
The News Media In the Post-Trump World
AV/EV or Die: The Future of the Auto Industry
Lessons of Korean Innovation: What You Can Learn and What You Can’t
Click on the links below for speaking rates, availability and testimonials.
My wife, Rebekah Ahrens — who, as you have read above, is a former U.S. diplomat — is also a trained actress who provides voiceover services for films, PowerPoints and other recorded presentations. Click on the video below to hear some of her work.
Click on the link below for voiceover rates and availability.
